We talk with Stockton Beverage Manager Lok Gurung about capturing the essence of an American great with the bar’s new Hunter S. Thompson-inspired cocktail menu.
How did Hunter S Thompson first become an inspiration for Stockton and how many guests know the journalist’s story?
Stockton is actually named for Hunter S. “Stockton” Thompson. We hope that the new menu will be able to shed more light on this legendary icon and we hope that we can tell his life story through our drinks. We tell Hunter S. Thompon’s story to every guest that visits Stockton so they don’t only get to know about him, but it also gives them a better sense of the cocktails that they are about to try.
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Tell us about the research process that went into creating drinks that were inspired by various periods in the writer’s life.
It was a lot of reading and doing research about his life story, his preferences, and his style during various phases of his time. Once we decided on the highlights that we wanted to showcase, we then worked on how to bring those stories to life through the senses. Through multiple experimentations of flavours and techniques, we feel that we have captured the essence of his character, milestones, and taste in our menu.

What were some of the more challenging new additions to the cocktail list?
The most challenging was probably coming up with the flavours inspired by the drinks that Hunter S. Thompson used to consume. Taking things like beer, bloody mary, and room temperature rum to create an elevated drink that people will enjoy was definitely a challenge.
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What’s your favourite new creation on the Creativity of Sins list?
I like the Prince Jellyfish and the Hells Angel, inspired by Thompson’s time with the legendary biker gang.

The new menu also features a trio of drinks that can be made zero proof. How do you see the low and zero alcohol movement from your side of the mahogany?
Zero proof and low ABV drinks are lifesavers and game-changers. You don’t have to drink alcohol or strong drinks all the time to prove yourself. When you are going out with friends and you don’t want to drink any alcohol but still want to be part of the party, then zero-proof drinks are great options.
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In some ways, creating non-alcoholic drinks is even harder than cocktails because it’s more challenging to bring out flavours without the help of taste and aromas that come from spirits.
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